Team owner can be with squad: Modi

Film star Shah Rukh Khan's statement that he had been barred entry to his team's dressing room prompted the IPL organisers to put in place a system, which will allow franchise owners access to the team during matches.

The Indian Premier League has decided to issue an all area accreditation badge to one member of each of the eight team franchises following the ejection of Kolkata Knight Riders' owner Shah Rukh Khan from his team's dug out by the Anti Corruption Unit officials of the International Cricket Council.

While defending the decision of the ACU officials to ask the film star to vacate his team's dug out during the IPL tie against Chennai Super Kings at the Eden Gardens as part of the procedure that's been followed in all matches, IPl Chairman and Commissioner Lalit Modi said suitable measures would be taken to avoid a repeat of this incident.

"There have been reports in the media about denial of a team owner access to the dug out and dressing room. The IPL is conducted as per the rules and regulations of the ICC whose ACU officials were just doing the job entrusted," Modi said.

"They go strictly by the colour code. A red badge issued by the ACU, on approval of the team manager, will help the person holding it access to all areas," he said.

"This is what we intend to do by giving each of the team owners one such badge each. They do have the right to sit with the players in the dug outs and dressing rooms," Modi told a media conference.

The IPL Chairman's statement sought to clear the air following the ruckus when Shahrukh was told by the ICC's ACU officials that he should not be in the players' dressing room or their dug out.

Modi said since this was the first year of the IPL they were still learning the ropes. "If we make mistakes we are willing to set them right. This is the first year of IPL."

"We had already provided such badges to Preity Zinta (owner of Punjab King's XI) and Vijay Mallya (owner of Bangalore's Royal Challengers) as we had received such a request from them in advance," Modi explained.

"The team owners have the right to be with the team at all times. They are very much part of the team's strategies," he added.

Modi also said that each team, in addition, would get four more badges with the condition that the holder of that badge, one at a time, can sit with the team members during the match for a maximum duration of 15 minutes.

"After the usage (of the temporary badge) it must be returned to the manager who has issued it. At a time only one person can use this badge," he clarified.

The IPL Chairman also said that in future children of team members, including support staff, would not be allowed to enter the teams' dug-outs or dressing rooms during a match.

"We have noticed these and no kids would be allowed to be with the team when the match is on, either in the dug-outs or in the dressing rooms," Modi said.

Modi said that the payments to some Australian players by the team franchises have been delayed only due to "tax problems".

"They will get their payments. The delay is due to some taxation issues. They need not be worried."

Modi also said two players from each team are chosen at random for dope testing.

"The players are selected by the manager who draws lot from a box before each match. They are only numbered and the numbers are then matched with the players' names who are called for dope testing," Modi explained.

"The samples are then sent to the World Anti Doping Agency's lab in Sweden," he said.

The IPL Chairman could not immediately explain how a stalemate would be resolved in case a match is washed out in the knock-out phase of the event, featuring the two semi finals and final between May 30 and June 1.

"The playing conditions of the IPL are there in the website (www.iplt20.com). You can download and print them."

Interestingly, the official website of the multi-billion dollar event does not contain the playing conditions of the 44-day event featuring 59 matches.